Flaming Frustrations
by Aerle
Summary: Having feelings for a fellow crewmate is bad enough, but when said crewmate is also interested, but something always comes in the way of your alone-time it is agonizing. Especially when the two standing in your way are denying their own feelings. Even someone as patient as Marco is bound to snap once...


Happy birthday, Mai Kusakabe :D I've tried to incoporate a lot of things we've discussed over time :3

Thanks to Vergina-spva and MyLadyDay for beta'ing :3

Warning: lots of cockblocking and sexual frustration.

Enjoy~

* * *

Pirates didn't need much of an excuse to party. The Whitebeard Pirates were no different in that. But finding hundreds of barrels filled with booze still must have been the best reason ever. When the pirates had found the barrels and had confirmed that it was indeed alcohol, they had looked at each other, before shouting in unison: "Party!" The ship had never been loaded faster before.

It was the duty of the commanders to keep an eye on things and make sure that the booze was divided equally, but unlike usual, this time there was an endless stream of alcohol. Tonight, even the commanders could take it slow and most grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Drinks were handed out generously.

Sipping from the mug in his hand, Marco watched through half-lidded eyes at his brothers partied like it was their last day on earth and smiled slightly. It had been a tough couple of weeks, so they really deserved to let off some steam. First they were hit with storm after storm, damaging even the sturdy Moby Dick. Provisions had been low and no land had been in sight. Then several Sea Kings had attacked – nothing they couldn't handle, but the moral had been low. Marco almost felt bad for the rookie pirate crew that had tried to kill Pops, as several of his brothers had snapped then. Oh well.

Then, earlier that day, they finally arrived at an island. It was uninhabited, but contained enough animals for meat – after weeks of fish and dried vegetables – and clean drinking water. And then the cave. A gift of the gods – at least, that was what his brothers described it as. Booze, as far as the eye could see. It had been a spectacular sight and not just the booze itself, also the pirates' reaction to it. Some had fallen on their knees, thanking whatever deity they believed in. Some cried. Even Izo had wiped away a tear – and then cursed for letting his make-up run.

All in all, it had been an interesting experience to say the least. Marco himself hadn't been much affected by the find, but if his brothers were happy, so was he. And it wasn't like he would say no to alcohol, in any case.

He took another sip and couldn't suppress a chuckle as he watched some of his brothers invent a dance. They were pretty drunk already, but that was only to be expected. The drink tasted good, though a little different than the sake he was used to. A little stronger maybe, but as a phoenix, alcohol never effected him as such. Which meant he usually was the only sober person aboard the ship and had to watch out for drunken wanderers – especially those with devil's fruit powers – that they didn't fall overboard.

Everything seemed to be fine now, no-one was drifting about near the railing. Marco relaxed a little and took another sip from his drink. Sudden dizziness caught him by surprise and he grabbed his head, trying to steady himself. It couldn't be the alcohol effecting him, so it must be tiredness. He had taken the main watch a few days in a row, to relieve his tired brothers a bit. He didn't need much sleep, but that didn't mean he didn't need any at all.

No-one seemed to have noticed his sudden attack, as everyone was too busy trying to get drunk as fast as possible. Slowly, Marco let himself slide down the wall he had been leaning against, emptying his mug as he watched his brothers. Or rather, one brother in particular.

Ace had joined the Whitebeard pirates not too long ago, finally having given up his attempt to kill Pops. He had even taken up Whitebeard's mark on his back, more elaborated than any of the tattoos the others had. It had been beautifully done. But then again, the guy who placed it there had been working with an amazing canvas.

Marco shook his head. He should _not_ go there. The silly attraction he had felt the first time Ace showed his flames was nothing more than pent up sexual frustration. Ace was his brother and, since recently, Second Division Commander. Therefore, he was of the same rank as Marco was. Although that actually improved the situation a little – as the commanders obeyed the unwritten rule of not sleeping with people below their rank, to prevent misunderstandings and power abuse – the blonde still doubted it was a good idea to dive into bed with a fellow commander. It would only complicate their relationship. Marco got attached easily and he would rather save himself the heartache if things didn't work out, or if Ace was only interested in a one-night stand. If he was interested at all. Marco had no idea what the freckled man's sexual orientation was, in the first place.

Still, watching him dance like that was mesmerising. The way he swayed his hips temptingly, turning around and flashing him a smile… Somehow, his mug was refilled and he emptied in one gulp. It should be illegal to be tempting like that. Then again, they were pirates, so it didn't really matter what was against the law or not, they would do it anyway.

That the Second Division Commander insisted on not wearing a shirt to show off his beautiful tattoo didn't really help either. Although, Marco couldn't help but think, would he stop wearing pants if he got a tattoo on his ass? Marco would very much like to see that naked ass, preferably pointing upwards while the man sat on all fours on his bed…

Again, he shook his head. This sleep deprivation really started to mess with his head. Maybe he should call it an early night and catch up on his sleep. He rose, grabbing his head when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him again and he held on to the wall to steady himself. If he didn't know any better, he would think he was getting drunk.

A blurry spot came walking towards him. Marco blinked a few times before his sight became normal again and he recognised Ace. The freckled man was smiling, obviously intoxicated, and opened his mouth to say something, when he suddenly tripped over his own feet. The blonde could catch him just in time, wrapping his arms around him instinctively.

"Oops," Ace giggled, leaning heavily on Marco.

The First Division Commander winced. This was not good. The freckled man really shouldn't be this close to him when he was in this state. When they both were. Suddenly, it didn't seem like that bad of an idea to bent the younger man over one of the many barrels they had obtained and fuck him senseless.

"Dance with me," Ace suddenly all but purred in his ear.

Marco's breath hitched. If the dancing the freckled man suggested was anything like he had been dancing just now, the blonde wasn't sure if he could keep his hands to himself.

However, he didn't get the time to think about it, as the impatient freckled commander pulled him along onto the improvised dance floor – which was in fact most of the deck. Marco wondered how the dancing would go. The music and the drunk pirates around them didn't leave much room to ballroom dance – not that he would ever admit he knew how, he would never live that down.

Ace, however, didn't seem to have any plans on ballroom dancing, if the movements he made could be called dancing at all. Grinding would be a better description. Though, to Marco, it was the most beautiful dance he had ever seen – or felt.

The song was over too soon, even if the next one started right after that. Not that most of the pirates even listened to the music anymore, but Marco wasn't that far gone that he could dance without.

Ace placed his hands on the blonde's hips, who had been standing still as the freckled man danced. "Come on," he said in a low voice. "Just sway 'em like this," he moved his hands, forcing Marco's hips to come along. "See? You're dancing."

"So this is dancing. What do you call what you were doing, yoi?" he said teasingly.

Ace smiled mysteriously and leaned in, so that his breath was tickling Marco's ear. "Seducing," he whispered.

The blonde froze. Did he hear that right? His lower regions sure thoughts so. "Ace…" he managed to stammer, but the freckled man placed a finger on Marco's lips.

"I'm tired of dancing. Let's indulge in… different physical activities." He pulled the First Division Commander along by his hand, before he could even begin to form a protest. Not that his brain was even thinking of that. He had wanted Ace for months and now the freckled man was offering his body to him? His cock twitched at the thought of that.

As soon as they were out of sight from the other pirates – who weren't paying attention to them anyway – Marco was pressed against the wall. Hungry lips caught his own. He let out a surprised gasp from the impact and Ace happily made use of the opportunity to invade his mouth.

Marco knew he should push the freckled man away. That he should send him to bed – and then go to his own and not follow Ace. The man was drunk, after all, and he was tired, though he felt more like he was drunk as well. Though that couldn't be possible, right?

But kissing the younger man felt so good. Enthusiastically, he sucked on Ace's tongue, earning a soft moan. He wanted this. They both wanted this. Maybe it would be a little awkward in the morning, but they would get over it. Right now, they both needed a good fuck and Marco would happily provide that for the Second Division Commander.

Said commander had different things in mind, however. His lips moved from Marco's mouth to his neck and the blonde moaned when he bit down. He was glad he just wore his usual purple jacket, hanging open. Ace seemed content with that as well, finding his nipple and extracting another moan, before he traced Marco's tattoo with his tongue.

The First Division Commander let his head fall back against the wall with a sigh. Usually, he wasn't this vocal in bed. It must be the tiredness. Or maybe Ace…

The lips left his skin and he opened his eyes, only to find the freckled man on his knees in front of him, grinning wickedly up at him. Marco groaned at the sight and his cock throbbed in his still very much present pants. He wanted this so bad. Have those lips wrapped around him, thrusting into that mouth…

Ace licked his lips seductively and stared to fumble with Marco's button. The blonde bucked his hips, trying to get those hands in contact with his erection. He needed friction and soon.

He sighed in relief when the zipper was pulled down – by Ace's teeth no less, the sight almost too much to bear. A hand caressed over his clothed erection and he bucked his hips, relishing the moment. Not only could he finally get off – as it was his personal resolve not to masturbate aboard the ship, too many people could walk in on him, even if he locked the door – but Ace would be the one assisting him.

The raven haired man reached out to pull down the waistband of his boxers and put that wonderful mouth to work, when he suddenly clasped said hands over said mouth, retching. He scrambled to his feet, leaning over the railing as all the consumed booze and food came back out again.

Marco could only stare at the puking man. He should have known. He should have stopped the freckled man. He was still young and probably not used to that much alcohol yet. It had been one of his first Whitebeard pirates' parties, after all, and those got pretty wild.

But instead of warning him or cutting him off, the blonde had let himself get carried away and almost took advantage of the freckled man's state. He was disgusted by himself. Raping a crewmate was one of the worst sins he could commit. He was the responsible one. He never got drunk.

Zipping up his pants, he walked over to the railing, wondering why the deck was this wobbly all of a sudden. Ace seemed to have emptied his stomach, though he was still leaning on the railing and panting. "'m Sorry," he muttered.

"You feeling better, yoi?" The blonde placed a careful hand on the decorated back.

"'m Fin–" Before he could finish his sentence, he retched again and turned back to the ocean. Wiping his mouth, he groaned.

"Come on, I'm taking you to bed, yoi," Marco offered.

Ace looked at him surprised. "After seeing that, you still want me?"

The blonde sighed and caressed the freckled cheek. "I'll always want you," he said absentmindedly. "But I'm putting you to bed so you can get some sleep. If you still remember this in the morning, we can continue then."

* * *

Of course, the next morning was hardly as he had hoped. It started when he woke up in his bed with a headache. He never had a headache, or ache anywhere – aside from really deep wounds, his powers had their limits – for years, decades even. That was the second clue something was wrong with the booze from the night before, the first being him being drunk and letting go if his inhibitions.

The headache hardly helped his mood, that was already pretty bad as he perfectly well remembered all that happened. He cursed himself for wanting Ace, for giving in to those desires and taking advantage of the young commander. It had been a good thing that Ace threw up, because who knew what would have happened if he hadn't? Marco was sure he wouldn't have been able to hold back, not with the young man flashing him a smirk like that, promising to fulfil his deepest longing.

Shaking his head violently to get rid of these thoughts – and cursing himself because the throbbing only intensified – Marco got out of bed and put on his clothes. Despite him having slept in, it was still silent on deck. The party had gone on until the early hours of the morning and the only people present were the last watch and the people who had chores – though Marco caught a few leaning on their broom or mop, snoring, so he gave them a swift kick and a scolding, improving his mood only a little.

He passed Izo's room, where the door just opened and the owner slipped out. Marco had trouble recognising his friend, as the usual layer of make-up was now absent and the Sixteenth Division Commander had bags under his eyes. "Marco!" he all but yelped when seeing the blond, pulling the door shut abruptly.

The first division commander lifted an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

Izo rubbed his eyes tiredly. "No… I mean, fine, everything is fine."

"You're wearing your kimono inside out, yoi."

The okama looked down confused and shrieked when he discovered Marco was right. He grabbed the door handle to enter his room, only to pull it shut again with a bang. "I-I'll go change in the bathroom."

"What's wrong with your room?" Marco asked a little surprised. Usually, Izo was very careful about his looks and the blonde couldn't remember ever seeing him without make-up. Even after the wildest of parties, the Sixteenth Division Commander always looked his best. And he never had heard him stutter.

"N-nothing. Just go away!"

The door handle was pushed down from the inside. Izo shrieked again and used his weight to keep the door shut. "Go away, Marco!"

The blonde was about to do as his friend said – as Izo could be really scary when he was himself – when the door was yanked open and Marco stood face to face with a confused and very pale Thatch.

Izo covered his face with his hands as Marco's jaw dropped. "Did you two…"

"No!" Izo shrieked. "There was something wrong with the alcohol last night!" He evaded all eye contact with the horrified looking Thatch.

Marco scratched the back of his head. "Tell me about it." When he was met with two relieved looks mixed with curiosity, he continued: "I have a headache, yoi."

Izo threw himself around his friend's neck, exclaiming: "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Then he turned towards Thatch. "We will never talk about what happened. _Ever_."

They made their way to the canteen to have breakfast, Izo leaving them for a moment to freshen up, but despite the conclusion that the booze was at fault, the okama and Thatch made no eye contact and didn't speak a word to each other. Marco sighed. This was going to be a long day.

They got their breakfast – fortunately, the cooks were already up and about, though also somewhat groggy looking – and sat down at the commander's table. More crewmembers came tickling into the room, all looking like they were hit by a train. The longer it took, the more Marco started to dread the arrival of one certain commander. What if the younger man remembered and hated him? Or laughed at him for having these feelings? Granted, Ace didn't seem like the type to do that, but the headache prevented the blonde from thinking straight. He wasn't very hungry either and just played with his food a little.

Ace came in late, a bright smile on his face when he saw his fellow commanders. "Good morning," he yelled, extracting several curses from the crew and some commanders.

The freckled man got his breakfast and sat down with his friends. "Why is everyone looking so grumpy?" he asked, while putting a sausage in his mouth.

Normally, that would have been a very suggestive action for Marco, but right now seeing someone eating was too much and he slid his plate over to the younger man, who accepted it surprised but grateful.

"We think something was wrong with the booze from last night," Thatch explained, accidentally making eye contact with Izo and immediately turning his face away.

"Huh? So why am I not effected then?" Ace asked, continuing to inhale his food.

"You don't remember what happened, yoi?" Marco asked carefully. His already sick stomach clenched at that.

The freckled man thought for a moment, but then shook his head. "Must be one hell of a party," he said with a smirk.

"Well, you did throw up, so maybe it got out of your system that way?" Marco mused. "You are a lightweight after all, yoi," he couldn't help but add teasingly. If the Second Division Commander didn't remember anything, at least the blonde could have some fun with him – even if it wasn't the kind of fun he wanted.

Ace flushed. "Shut up! I'm not a lightweight. I can out-drink you all!"

Despite the headaches and hangovers, several people started to laugh at that. "What's that? The newbie is challenging us?" someone exclaimed.

"Yes!" Ace slammed his fist on the table. "I dare you all to a drinking contest! Last man standing wins! Just, let's not do it with the stuff from last night. As you obviously can't handle that," he added smugly.

They had decided to hold the drinking contest the next day, as most of the crewmembers still felt the effects of the previous night. Ace was a little too smug about him being the only one aboard who didn't feel like they were hit by a train and expressed that by talking too loudly around people with a headache and dealing out chores like they were candy. He wasn't really making himself popular, but he was too self-satisfied to care.

He paid for that dearly when he decided to treat the commanders the same. Marco, with his headache that wouldn't fade, was already in a foul mood and most people were smart enough to leave him be. Even Whitebeard didn't bother his first mate, fearing his wrath. Not Ace, though.

Complacent and a bit full of himself, he stood next to the blonde against the rail. "Even you're out of it, eh? Guess that means I'm the best pirate here~" He wiggled his eyebrows.

That did it. Pent up sexual frustration caught up with his headache and general foul mood. Transforming into his phoenix form in the blink of an eye, he grabbed Ace with his talons and flung the younger man overboard. Fortunately for the latter, there were several non devil's fruit users around and soon the fire user was safely back on board. He was smart enough to leave Marco alone after that.

During dinner, Ace reluctantly joined the commanders at their table. His smugness had disappeared once he had hit the water. Marco sighed. He didn't like seeing Ace like this. Plus, his headache had subsided a bit, improving his mood considerably. "I'm sorry I threw you in the ocean, yoi," he said to the Second Division Commander, sliding a piece of meat on the other's plate as a peace offering.

Ace looked a bit wary at first, but then a grin broke through on his face and he started eating with his usual vigour. "'m Still gonna beat ya'll in the drinking contest," he said.

Marco hummed and continued his dinner.

"By the way, do we already know why that booze had such side effects?" Izo asked.

"Apparently, it was made from some berry that has a similar effect as water on a devil's fruit user," Rakuyo explained. "So I guess that's why your phoenix-powers couldn't help you with that headache, Marco. Plus, it contains more alcohol than regular sake and the berry lessens one's inhibitions."

Izo and Thatch both spit out the water they were drinking and Marco couldn't help but let his gaze flick over to Ace, who continued to eat blissfully ignorant.

* * *

The next night, several contestants who wanted to try their alcohol tolerance had gathered. Marco had signed up as a judge, as he could out-drink almost everyone and people found that unfair. He didn't really care anyway.

The leftovers from the weird booze they found on the island – or rather, the one remaining barrel – had been stored away safely behind lock and key , until they knew what to do with it. The contestants would drink ordinary sake, the last person standing would be the winner. As a judge, Marco and several others would keep track of how many glasses were drunk.

Ace started enthusiastically and he out-drank a few people, but it didn't take too long before his head hit the crate that doubled as a table and loud snoring arose. Crewmates around him chuckled, whispering things about him being a lightweight. Marco smiled as well, sure that when Ace woke up, he would blame his narcolepsy for losing and demanding a do-over. After all, everyone aboard knew how stubborn the Second Division Commander was.

Pops came out as the winner, which really surprised no-one and people went to bed. The contestants who had gone knock out while drinking were left to their own devices, since it was nice weather out anyway.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Marco heard the door to his room open. Not that the person intruding was really quiet – though they did try, shushing the things they stepped on or kicked against, like that would help.

The blonde was sitting upright, debating about what he should do. The person entering didn't seem to have any ill intentions, especially when they were standing next to the bed, lifting the blanket and whispering: "Luffy! Move over."

Recognising the voice and the name of the brother, Marco was a little surprised at what was asked of him – or rather, of the person Ace thought he was talking to. Apparently, the freckled man was still intoxicated and thought he was at home. Still, the blonde didn't see a reason to complain when the younger man rolled against him, draping an arm around him and murmuring good night.

* * *

It had been a long time since Ace woke up next to a warm body. Neither him nor Luffy liked to be alone, so they slept in the same bed often. After what happened to Sabo, they preferred to keep each other in sight. Until Ace set sail, of course. After that, the nights became lonely again…

The freckled man turned around, contently wrapping a blanket around himself and snuggling up against the body next to him, his back turned to them. It was nice to be back home, where things were familiar and safe.

Suddenly, he felt something poking his lower back. "Dammit, Luffy, what did I tell you about bringing sticks and pointy stuff to bed?" he murmured.

Finally, his brain, still hazed by sleep, asked itself a question: if Ace set sail, how come Luffy was here? Dreading to find out the answer, he slowly opened his eyes and turned around. Instead of being met by his sleeping brother or said brother's bright smile, a whole other brother's blue eyes looked at him.

Ace's eyes widened. Why was Marco in his bed? Looking around the room, he realised that the situation was slightly different. Why was _he_ in Marco's bed?

Still mentally panicking, he barely caught the blonde say: "Good morning, yoi."

So Marco wasn't surprised of him being here. Why? And what was that thing poking him all the time?

Realisation hit him like a pile of bricks and he moved back so fast, he fell out of bed. "Fuck, my ass!" he cursed, rubbing the sore spot.

"Well, you have to get back in bed for me to do that, yoi," Marco said amused.

Ace looked at him with wide eyes, his brain still trying to process the things happening. First of all, he was in the bed of the First Division Commander, with no recollection of how he got there. Though the throbbing headache behind his eyes may be an explanation for that. Second, Marco had let him sleep in his bed. Well, if he got there in the middle of the night, drunk, the blonde might not have felt like kicking him out and just rolled with it. Third, apparently the phoenix preferred to sleep naked and right now had a morning erection, which was the thing poking him. The blonde hardly seemed bothered by it. And finally, did Marco really just offer to fuck him or was it a joke?

Not really knowing what to do, Ace just mumbled apologies and stormed out, not daring to look back, since the blonde wasn't covered by a blanket anymore.

* * *

Breakfast was a little awkward, but fortunately for him, Marco was known to be laid back. There was some teasing – which was to be expected – but that was mostly done by the rest of the crew and about him losing the contest he had proposed. He demanded a rematch, but they just laughed at him and told him to wait until the next party, when they would gladly take him on again.

The next party would have to wait, because they were low on stock and had to live more economical until they reached the next island. Which would take another week.

After breakfast, Marco asked him to stay for a moment. "How are you feeling, yoi?" he inquired.

Ace shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "I'm fine, just a little hung over."

The blonde hummed, studying the freckled man's face.

"Stop that," Ace snapped. "Look, I'm sorry I got into your room and crawled into your bed, alright? I was drunk and I suppose a little home-sick…" he trailed off.

"It's fine," Marco said shrugging, and continued in a teasing tone: "After all, it's been a while since I had someone to warm my bed, yoi."

His cheeks felt like they were on fire. "Don't joke about that!"

Marco chuckled. "Well, aren't you a prude."

"Excuse me for wanting my first time to be a little special!" he snapped. Immediately, he slapped a hand over his mouth. _Shit, shit, shit!_ He did not just tell Marco that! But willing his action away didn't make it undone. However, Marco hadn't burst into laughter right away, so that was a good sign, right? Carefully, he looked up. The other's face had a strange expression, one Ace couldn't place.

The blonde swallowed a few times, before he asked: "You're… a virgin, yoi?"

His cheeks flushed in an even darker shade than before. "O-of course not! I slept with thousands of people..." When he realised that the First Division Commander wasn't buying it, he sighed. "It's not like it's never been offered, just… I don't know. Just don't tell the others, okay? They'll just laugh at me…"

Marco nodded and mumbled: "You must certainly not let Izo know… He'll set up something right away."

* * *

Ace's confession had really messed up his head. The fact that Ace hadn't slept with anyone before, not even a woman, was strangely arousing. He'd love to show the younger man how things were done in that department…

On the other hand, it complicated things. The freckled man had said that he wanted his first time to be special. Of course, that could mean several things and not necessarily that he wanted it to be with his one true love or something, but still. And he still didn't know if Ace liked men or not. Well, at least he did when he was drunk.

Scratching the back of his head, Marco made his way to the commanders' bathroom, a towel slung over his shoulder. In all, it was getting pretty difficult to keep his resolve not to masturbate. A cold shower would do him good.

Entering the bathroom, he heard the sound of one of the showers running. There were sixteen of them, one for each commander, though they didn't have a fixed one. Marco opened the door to one of the free stalls, when he suddenly heard a noise. It was like a soft whimper and he didn't have to think long before he realised what was the source of the sound. It seemed like not everyone had a resolve like himself. Well, they should know that the bathroom was public, so he wasn't going to be silent or leave, but suddenly, he caught his name, moaned in a familiar voice. "Marco…"

The blonde stood rooted to the spot. Ace was in there, masturbating, thinking about _him_? Did that mean the freckled man wanted him to be his first? His head spun and it took all his willpower not to rip open the stall and help the younger man with his situation.

Not even five seconds later the bathroom opened and a whistling Thatch entered. "Hey, Marco. You gonna shower? Don't do anything dirty in there. After all, we're all using those stalls~" his friend teased.

The blonde closed his eyes, noting that the stall that Ace occupied had suddenly become silent, except for the sound of running water.

* * *

Ace did his best to avoid Marco as much as possible. He knew before he had given in in the shower that people might walk in and that wasn't the problem as such. More than once he had heard someone whacking off. Everyone was cool about it, Haruta – the only female commander – being no exception. But what was a problem was the person he had imagined while he was doing it had been there, moreover, the person whose _name_ he had moaned.

He was attracted to the First Division Commander, yes. He was drawn to the blue flames, which were the complete opposite of his own. Gentle, healing, inviting… That the blonde wasn't hard to look at and insisted on having his jacket hang open didn't help Ace's case in the slightest. Or the fact that Marco made innuendoes, for that matter. He would like to have sex with the First Division Commander, very much so, but there were several problems.

First of all, the blonde was much older than him. How much he wasn't sure of and it wasn't like he had problems with that, but Marco might find him too young. And now he had blurted out that he never had sex before, so the blonde might not want to sleep with someone so inexperienced. If he wanted to sleep with a man at all. And then there was the most important factor: Whitebeard viewed his crew as his children and the crewmembers regarded each other as siblings. So that pretty much limited his chances of getting it on with Marco.

That was why he was most embarrassed by his shower. Not only had he moaned the phoenix' name, the man himself had been there. Thatch had even greeted him. How long had he been there? Would he have heard? On the few occasions Ace was forced to interact with the blonde after the incident, Marco hadn't mentioned it or teased him about it. Or would he be so embarrassed by it that he didn't want to mention it and forget about it as soon as possible? Was he appalled by him? Ace couldn't stand that thought.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. In the shower, he had wished that the ground would swallow him and he had been inclined to dive overboard at some point, but now he decided he needed to talk to Marco. The man was so laid back, he wouldn't judge, right?

* * *

Marco was busy filling out paperwork when someone knocked on his door. Usually, he hated to be interrupted while working, but right now he had trouble focusing thanks to some recently obtained information, so he welcomed every distraction.

"Enter, yoi!" he called.

He heard the door open and turned around, surprised to find a fumbling Ace in the doorway. "Hey," the blonde said. It hadn't slipped his attention that the younger man had been avoiding him. "Something the matter, yoi?"

The freckled man chewed on his lip and seemed to consider fleeing, but eventually asked: "Can I talk to you about something?"

When Marco nodded, he closed the door and took a seat on the edge of the bed, while the blonde turned his chair to face him. Silence filled the room while Marco waited patiently for the Second Division Commander to begin.

Finally, the latter took a deep breath and asked in a small voice: "We're family, right? Everyone here… We're all family."

"Yes," Marco said slowly. He was a bit wary of where this conversation would lead.

"What would happen if two crewmembers slept together?" Ace blurted out suddenly.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. What was this about? Was it about the freckled man thinking about him in the shower – if it actually was him and not some other Marco. That thought hadn't even occurred to him. Well, fuck. So maybe Ace caught two people from his division doing it and didn't know what was the proper way to respond?

"Nothing really," he eventually said with a shrug. "We may call each other brothers and regard each other as family, but we're still pirates, yoi. And you can't deny love. Did something happen in your division?" he dared to ask.

But the freckled man shook his head. "What about commanders?"

At this, Marco lifted an eyebrow. "You can't sleep with someone in your division, if that's what you mean, yoi. Or any division, for that matter. Not without discussing it with Pops first, anyway. We don't want any power abuse, yoi."

Ace shifted around on the bed. "I meant… Commanders with commanders?" His words were hardly audible.

That had Marco speechless for a moment. A few days ago, after Izo and Thatch had done things, they both had been appalled about it, but not so much because they were both commanders or from the same 'family'. Rather because they liked to pretend they couldn't stand each other, constantly jabbing at each other, while in reality they were best friends and closer to each other than Marco was to either of them. It was a risk of their friendship, so they were horrified by the incident. So yes, commanders could sleep together, as long as they had it all under control. Blowing off steam was something they all needed sometimes.

"Marco?"

Apparently, he had been lost in thoughts. "Yeah, no, that shouldn't be a problem, yoi," he quickly said. "Why? You want someone to deflower you?" he couldn't help but tease.

He had expected Ace to get embarrassed and yell at him, but when he tried to make eye contact, the younger man was staring at the floor, his cheeks bright red. Slowly, Ace looked up, doubtful, but his message was clear. _You._

He wasn't even in his phoenix form, but still it felt like he was flying when he pinned Ace against the mattress, pressing their lips together. _Finally_, was all he could think. But after his initial joy, he suddenly noticed the younger man wasn't kissing him back. He started to panic. Did he read him wrong?

Then, hesitantly, Ace moved his lips against Marco's. Relieved, the blonde continued and soon enough the freckled man was kissing him back with equal enthusiasm. Marco moved, so that he was sitting on his knees between Ace's legs, his hands sliding up his thighs. He wanted the dark haired man so bad…

His lips moved to the Second Division Commander's jaw and neck, extracting a muffled moan from the man beneath him. He worked his way down Ace's muscular torso, pausing at his nipples. His hand wandered down, cupping the freckled man's crotch. The fire user bucked his hips, moaning and trying to obtain more friction. Marco was tempted to give in, but he had wanted this for such a long time, he wanted to savour the moment. Plus, this was Ace's first time and he needed to make sure the younger man would come back for more.

Using his tongue to dip into the other's bellybutton, the blonde felt Ace arching his back, panting. The blonde enjoyed every spot he found where Ace was sensitive, but eventually he deemed it time for the treasure. While he was fumbling with the younger man's pants, he caught his name. "Marco…" It was barely above a whisper, but it caught the blonde's attention anyway. He looked up.

Ace's face was flushed and he was taking shallow breaths. His eyes were clouded over by lust, but still Marco got the message. _Be careful_. He kissed the man's knuckles. "I know," he said, eyes soft. "Do you trust me, yoi?"

When the Second Division Commander nodded, still flushed, the phoenix smiled and continued with his actions. He was pleasantly surprised that Ace didn't wear any underwear, but as soon as his erection sprang free, Marco couldn't hold back and took it in his mouth.

The fire user let out a surprised yelp, but soon the sounds he made changed into moans and pants. Marco sucked on the tip, letting his tongue run up the entire length. The sounds Ace made should have been illegal. Just in time, the blonde caught his own hand sliding towards his own crotch, desperate for attention. Not yet.

Ace had other plans. "Marco, I want you," he panted.

The blonde had never heard more appealing words. Letting go with a wet pop, he jumped on Ace again, kissing him passionately. The younger man's fingers went through his hair, pulling it slightly, desperately. The First Division Commander decided that something needed to happen and soon, before they both exploded. Ripping open the drawer in his nightstand, he frantically started to rummage through the content.

The freckled man clung to him, caressing him and dragging his nails across his skin. Needy, he bit Marco's lip, moaning his name. In all, he didn't make the elder man's job any easier, so eventually the blonde gave him a quick kiss before pushing the horny man off him and impatiently ripped the drawer out of the stand.

"What are you doing?" Ace asked, gently licking and biting his earlobe.

Indulging his lover – and himself – for a moment, Marco stopped searching and let him, before sighing. "Lube, yoi. I was sure I had some here…"

"We don't need it," Ace remarked, kissing his jaw.

Marco snorted. "Yes, we do. Trust me, you'll be thankful in the morning, yoi." Pushing the younger man off him again, he walked over to his desk and looked through the drawers in there. The longer he searched without finding anything, the more desperate he got. He wanted Ace for so long and now finally the young man threw himself on him and he didn't have any lubricant?

"Marco," Ace moaned.

The blonde looked up from his search for a moment, to find the freckled man lying seductively on the bed. The elder man's cock twitched and it took all his will power not to jump the other and take him right there and then. Groaning in frustration, he looked for anything that might pass for lubricant, coming up with nothing. Marco started to feel like ripping out his hair, barely containing himself.

"Just wait here," he finally brought out, already starting for the door.

"Where are you going?" Ace sounded indignant.

Really, if he had any less will power, Marco would have fucked him dry, but he really wanted the freckled man to enjoy it. He could wait a little longer. "I'll be right back, yoi. Just wait," he all but pleaded before storming out of the room.

His blood deprived brain frantically thought of places to look, but he still had the presence of mind not to randomly storm into rooms, demanding lube. That would only lead to questions and waste his valuable time. The first thing he thought of was oil. As casual as possible he entered the kitchen, asking for olive oil like it was the most natural thing in the world. However, the chefs told him that they were short and when they started asking why he needed it, Marco fled.

Suddenly he remembered that Izo had said teasingly that if he ever needed something in the bedroom, he would be the go-to guy. Of course Marco wasn't going to ask him for lube, knowing his brother, he would want details the blonde didn't want to give.

He made his way to Izo's room, but unfortunately, he was seen by some guys from his division. They asked if there was anything they could do. Mentally screaming, he brushed them off by telling them to clean the canteen.

On his way, several people asked him things, if he could explain something, or show them something, or give them something to do. Growing more desperate each time, he made up the most random chores.

Then finally, fucking finally, he reached Izo's room. Now just hope that the okama wouldn't be there.

Why did he even bother to think luck was on his side? After carefully knocking, the door swung open and Izo let out a delighted squeal when he recognised his brother. "You're just the person I wanted to see!"

"Really?" Marco all but groaned.

"Yes! Don't you think Thatch is incredibly irritating?" Chattering, Izo pulled him inside.

* * *

It was near dinner time when the Sixteen Division Commander was finally done telling Marco how stupid Thatch was, despite the blonde's attempts to escape. Izo grabbed his arm and took him to the canteen, which was spotless thanks to the eager members of the First Division.

Ace entered the canteen as well, looking rather pissed. Marco shot him an apologetic look, but the freckled man didn't say a word to him during dinner.

After they had eaten, the blonde took the freckled man to the side. "Ace, I'm really sorry. Izo wouldn't leave me alone, yoi." He saw the okama beckoning him and he sighed. No doubt the cross dresser had more reasons to tell him why Thatch was stupid. "I have to go now, but I have the second watch tonight. Meet me in the crow's nest, yoi?" he pleaded.

"We'll see," the fire user said primly.

Marco sighed and hoping he hadn't ruined things, he made his way over to Izo.

* * *

His shift was halfway through and there was still no sign of Ace. Marco sighed. Great, he really messed things up. He had hoped the freckled man would give him another chance, but perhaps things weren't so easily forgotten when it was your first time. Though he hardly remembered his own first time at all. If only Ace would let him, then he would show him it was worth the wait.

Sighing again, he decided that it was no use to mope. He couldn't force the Second Division Commander into doing anything and wishing wouldn't bring him here. So, he would just have a stretch by flying around a little.

Changing into his phoenix form – his second nature – he hopped on the rail of the crow's nest and spread his wings. He loved the wind in his feathers. Somehow, it always calmed him down. After all, how can your problems seem big when even a ship as large as the Moby Dick looks small?

Having made several circles above the ship, he suddenly noticed a small figure standing in the crow's nest. A tiny hand held onto an equally tiny orange hat. Marco smiled, as much as his phoenix form allowed it, and changed his course. Swooping down, the blonde aimed at the tiny figure and changing to his human form at the last moment, he tackled the Second Division commander to the floor, kissing him excitedly. "I thought you weren't going to come, yoi," he muttered in the dark haired man's ear.

The younger man chuckled. "Well, I thought about punishing you, but then I figured you were probably worse off than I was by being forced to listen to Izo."

"You have no idea, yoi," he groaned. "But I don't want to talk about that." He moved off Ace and pulled him up.

The freckled man pulled a small vessel from his pocket and showed it to the blonde. "Will this do?"

The First Division Commander studied the lotion. "Yes, it seems fine. How did you get it?"

The younger man shrugged. "I forgot I had it," he said with an embarrassed smile.

Marco fought the urge to strangle the younger man and deciding he would much rather fuck him, he started to kiss his neck. Ace sighed contently and let the blonde work his magic. "Is it gonna hurt?" he whispered.

"A little, yoi," the phoenix answered. "But after the first time it will hurt less."

"Are you making plans already?" the freckled man teased, only to be silenced by hungry lips.

"Marco? Are you up there?"

Both men froze at hearing Thatch's voice. Ace looked at Marco in panic as the blonde jumped back, sitting on the other side of the crow's nest like he hadn't just been molesting one of his crewmembers. Just in time, when Thatch's defining pompadour appeared.

"Yo Marco, I brought booze~" the man practically sang as he hosted himself into the crow's nest and held up a bottle. At that moment he noticed Ace sitting and his face dropped a little. "Oh, you're here too?"

"Is that a problem?" Marco asked coolly.

"Well no, but I don't know if I have enough to drink."

"Weren't we short on rations, yoi?" the blonde pointed out.

Thatch shrugged. "They won't miss this, anyway." He handed the bottle to the blonde.

"What are you doing here, by the way?" the First Division Commander asked, uncorking the bottle and taking a swig.

"Can't I just want to keep my best bud company?" The brown haired man actually sounded insulted.

Marco raised an eyebrow, but then asked: "Wait… Isn't this the stuff from a few days ago, yoi? I thought they locked that away."

The Fourth Division Commander shrugged. "Nothing wrong with the stuff. Like I said, they won't miss it. No one gets drunk off one bottle anyway. Well," he added with a smirk, "except maybe our lightweight here."

Ace, who just got the bottle handed by Marco, scowled at the other man. "I'm not a lightweight!" To emphasise his words, he took a long drink.

Thatch just shook his head and laughed. "Besides," he said to the blonde, "I thought you might like it to get drunk again. Must have been some time, eh?"

Marco shrugged. "I only miss it when I have to baby sit all of you, yoi."

They sat in silence for a while, sipping the bottle and passing it along. Though Thatch drank the most by far and even went to get a new one at some point. Cheeks flushed, he started to slur: "You know who's really annoying? Izo. I mean, yeah, he looks good in a kimono. Who doesn't? I bet you two would look lovely." He gestured between Marco and Ace, who exchanged a look.

"And do you know how long he takes in the bathroom with all that make-up? Like, really long. And then he comes out looking all pretty. What's up with that?"

The phoenix sighed and rubbed his temples. First Izo complaining about Thatch and now the other way around. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Land ho!"

The whole ship was excited after hearing those words. Being at sea for too long, especially when living on short rations, always made the crew cranky, so being able to leave the ship, drinking and whoring all they wanted, got the spirits up.

Marco, on the other hand, was far from excited. Usually, he didn't get this sexually frustrated – though he had visited a fair share of brothels over the years, but he could always wait until they reached land – but ever since he found out Ace was equally interested in him as he was in the freckled man, he was dying to sleep with the Second Division Commander. Unfortunately, something always got in the way and they ended up having to take a cold shower. After Thatch drunken rant of how annoying Izo was, the man with the pompadour and fallen asleep, just as Ace. Not long after that, the third watch had taken over and Marco had brought Ace – and Thatch as well, though less delicately – to his room.

After that night, duty called and they didn't have any time to be alone together. And now that there was land, Marco would have to oversee the unloading, the provisions and make sure the over excited crewmembers didn't get into too much trouble. Usually, people wearing the Whitebeard mark would be left alone, but one could never be sure. Being First Division Commander was a tough job, though the other Commanders played their part as well. Hence, Ace couldn't have the time either.

He was in the hold of the ship, checking the provisions with some of the chefs, when Izo suddenly appeared next to him. At first he ignored the okama, but one can never do that too long and when the Sixteenth Division Commander cleared his throat, Marco knew his peace and quiet was over.

"How can I help you, Izo?" He tried not to sigh, but if this was another "why I hate Thatch" speech, the blonde would throw himself overboard.

"You know the brothel here?"

Marco looked at his brother for a while. The brothel here was quite famous – he had visited it a couple of time in his younger days. But what Izo's point was, was beyond him. The hookers who worked there were all female, so the cross dresser would more likely give them fashion advice than do anything else to them. "Yes," he finally said slowly.

"Well, then you certainly know they have a policy that they don't serve a crew if one member doesn't pay," the Sixteenth Division Commander continued.

"The boys have their allowances, yoi," Marco answered while scribbling down some numbers.

"Thatch went there too."

He looked up from his clipboard. "So?"

Izo stamped his feet. "What do you mean, 'so?' You know Thatch, he most likely doesn't have enough money. So go get him!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "You want me to go get him, yoi?"

Izo nodded.

"While he is doing a hooker?"

The okama made a frustrated noise. "Then go now, maybe he isn't doing anything yet!"

The phoenix looked at his brother. "Okay, I'll go, yoi."

Izo's face brightened.

"If you explain to me why this is so important. Why do you care? If Thatch doesn't pay, the rest of the crew will take their frustrations out on him. So either you want to prevent that, or… You don't want him to sleep with a whore."

The cross dresser's cheeks turned red despite the many layers of make-up he wore. "S-shut up! Like hell I care wherever he wants to stick it in! I'm just worried about the crew! Now, go get him!"

* * *

Ace was supervising the unloading of the ship and arranging the deliveries. He had never seen Marco leave the ship, so it surprised him to see the blonde return along with Thatch.

From the direction of the whore house.

The fire user had never felt so betrayed. So that was all he was to the blonde? A quick way to get off? And then after a few interruptions, he preferred to _pay_ for sex to get it done?

He would show that stupid bird! Two could play that game. Portgas D. Ace would not be taken advantage of.

* * *

Marco was about to return to his chores when some crewmembers of the Second Division approached him. "The Commander asked us to tell you that he'll be at the brothel. Were you looking for him?"

The blonde felt like someone just threw a bucket of ice water over him. Why? Why would Ace go there? Hadn't they agreed on their arrangement? Did it take too long? It wasn't like it was Marco's fault. But why else? Did he decide he rather not to compromise their relationship? But why would he let crewmembers give him the message?

Without replying to the messengers, he pushed past them, running towards the whore house. There, he was just in time to see Ace in the window. The freckled man obviously must have seen him, as he pulled the drapes shut.

* * *

The crew could live with having Thatch and Izo bickering, or rather, ignoring each other. But with Marco and Ace not talking, the commander's table was quiet. The tension was so great it could be cut with a knife and the glares that were exchanged could kill many a person.

The four left the table in different directions, without sparing the other a glance. No one dared to bother any of them, doing their chores in silence and even the members from the First, Second, Fourth and Sixteenth Division rather asked one of the other commanders than go to their own.

Eventually Marco was called to Whitebeard. The blonde sat down cross-legged and waited for Pops to speak. After a moment of silence, the captain said: "That Thatch and Izo are bickering is nothing new. But did something happen between you and Ace?"

The blonde stared at the floor for a moment. Lying wasn't an option, so he sighed and started: "Yeah. You know how he uses fire, yoi?"

When the strongest man in the world nodded, Marco continued: "You probably also know that I'm attracted to him. Drawn even, yoi. Recently, I found out our attraction was mutual and I really thought things were going somewhere. But at the last island, he suddenly runs off to the brothel." He sighed annoyed.

"And you assume he slept with a prostitute?"

The blonde gave him a sceptical look. "What else do you do in a brothel?"

"Were you at that house?"

"No. Well, yes. But only for a moment, to pick up Thatch…" Slowly it got through to him what Whitebeard was aiming at. "Wait, you think he thinks _I_ slept with a hooker, yoi?"

His captain's face spoke volumes.

Marco cursed at his own stupidity. "I need to talk to him." Halfway to the door he stopped. "I know I should have asked for your permission earlier. I'm sorry I didn't. Are you okay with this?"

"The only thing I want is for my children to be happy," Edward Newgate answered with a gentle smile.

* * *

Ace saw Marco approach, but chose to ignore him, instead continuing to snap orders at his poor men.

"Ace, I need to talk to you, yoi."

"I have nothing to say to you," he snapped. "Fuck off." A hand grabbed his wrist and he tried to shake himself loose, but to no avail. "I said fuck off!"

Marco had expected the flaming fists and easily caught it with his blue flames that mesmerised Ace so much. Still, he was stubborn and angry and that wasn't a good combination. He tried to hit the First Division Commander again, but Marco seemed to be fed up with his childish stubbornness. Transforming into his bird form, he took Ace in his talons and flew up to the crow's nest. The younger man, however, didn't stop struggling. "Let go of me, you stupid chicken!"

The phoenix complied with his wish, letting go of him a bit above the floor. With a loud thud, the freckled man hit the ground, cursing and grumbling while Marco changed back to his human form. "We need to talk," he repeated.

"No, we don't. I have stuff to do, anyway," Ace snapped.

"I didn't have sex with a whore, yoi."

Already halfway to the door, the freckled man froze. "You… didn't?" he asked hesitantly.

Marco shook his head. "I only went there because Izo asked me to pick up Thatch."

"Oh, he was jealous," the fire user said understandingly.

The blonde blinked. It had taken him a little longer to figure that out. But then he nodded. "They like each other more than they like the rest to believe."

Ace fumbled with the fabric of his pants. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "I thought you were only interested in getting off, so I…"

Marco stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the freckled man. "I don't want you just because I'm horny. Well, I am, but that's because you insist on walking around half naked and because we keep getting interrupted, yoi."

"I don't see anyone here right now," Ace chuckled.

The blonde smiled and pressed his lips against the younger man's while gently pushing him to the floor. Ace let his fingers run through the blond strands of the man above him, while said man started to kiss his neck. "Marco?" he asked.

The blonde hummed to indicate that he was listening, but continued what he was doing none the less.

"I didn't sleep with a whore either."

That had the elder man's full attention. He pulled back and sat down on his knees."You didn't? But I saw you in one of the rooms."

"I was only pretending to spite you," the freckled man explained, sitting up. "I told you, I wanted it to be at least a little special. My first time. So I wasn't going to let a hooker do that…"

He had barely finished the sentence or hungry lips claimed his mouth. "So I'm still the one deflowering you, yoi," he heard Marco murmur in his ear.

Ace couldn't help but chuckle. "You really like that."

"You have no idea," the blonde groaned.

The freckled man let his hand slide over the bulge in the other's pants. "I think I have an idea…" Laughing, he let himself be pushed back to the floor by a very horny Marco.

"Oh, hell no!"

The phoenix let out a feral growl Ace didn't know birds were capable of. In the doorway leading to the crow's nest, Thatch was standing, arms folded before his chest. Behind him was Izo, his mouth in an indignant line.

"What the hell are you doing here, yoi?" Marco asked in a low, threatening voice.

"Apparently, preventing you from doing something stupid," Thatch spat. "The hell, man? You know fooling around with a crewmember is a no-go. Does Pops even know?"

"He does and we have his blessing, yoi. Besides, Ace is a commander, remember?" the phoenix snapped.

"That you _can_ doesn't mean you _should_," Izo interfered in a reprimanding tone.

Marco took a deep breath and reminded himself that these were his friends and brothers, and that he loved them. "Instead of meddling with my love life, what do you two want, yoi?" He immediately regretted his question.

"Tell him that I'm right!" they exclaimed at the same time, pointing at the other.

Ace feared for their lives when Marco transformed into his phoenix form again and chased them out of the crow's nest.

* * *

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Namur said, "but is there something going on between you two?"

Marco caressed the long dark strands lovingly. "Why would you say that, yoi?"

"Well, for one thing, Ace has his head in your lap," the fishman said ironically.

"Would you look at that," the First Division Commander said in mock surprise as he looked down to the smiling freckled face.

"You know, Ace, I highly doubt it's a good sign if he doesn't notice you there," Rakuyo teased. "Maybe you should do something else in his lap…"

The Second Division Commander shut upright, head butting Marco in the chin with a bright red face. "Fuck! Sorry! Don't say such things," he snapped at his friend, who was laughing loudly.

"Why? I'm sure you've done that plenty of times," Rakuyo shrugged. Seeing the look they exchanged, he lifted an eyebrow. "You haven't?"

"We keep getting interrupted, yoi," Marco said through gritted teeth.

The Seventh Division Commander plucked his moustache. "Really? Well, then we'll just have to make sure you won't get interrupted tonight!"

"Please do that by keeping Thatch and Izo away, yoi. They're so annoying lately," the blonde grumbled.

Rakuyo started to laugh. "Somehow I think you two aren't the only ones who need a good fuck."

At that moment, Haruta walked by, carrying a steaming mug. Tripping over her own feet, the content spilled over and landed in Ace's lap. The Twelfth Division Commander clasped her hands over her mouth and the men surrounding them looked horrified at the growing wet spot.

Ace raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "What?"

"Doesn't that hurt?" Curiel asked.

He shrugged. "I'm a fire user, remember? It hurts about as much when you would spill water over yourself."

Rakuyo started to laugh. "Then I suppose it's not necessary for Marco to kiss it better~"

* * *

"Marco, there you are! Listen, I really need to talk…"

"Not now, yoi," the blonde interrupted Thatch, without slowing down his pace.

Like on cue, Rakuyo swept in, placing an arm around the Fourth Division Commander's shoulder. "I'm all ears."

Thankful for his brother's interference , Marco sped up his pace. In the distance he saw Izo approaching, but Namur swooped in before the okama could reach him. Finally having reached Ace's room, he tried the door handle, only to find the door locked. Knocking softly, he resisted the urge to pound on the hard surface. Really, if Ace had fallen asleep now…

Fortunately, he heard an – albeit sleepy – voice ask: "Marco?"

"Yes, I'm here, yoi," he answered relieved and soon he heard the key turn. As soon as the door opened, he practically jumped the room owner, pushing him inside and locking the room behind him. "You got the lube, yoi?" he asked a little out of breath.

The freckled man nodded and continued the struggle of taking off his cloths. Marco happily helped him out, not able to resist the urge to kiss the man as often as he could.

In his enthusiasm, Ace pushed the blonde against his desk. Reaching for the freckled face, Marco's hand accidentally knocked over a stack of papers. "Shit, sorry!"

"Don't worry about it," the freckled man panted, trying to prevent the other from picking up the papers.

Marco decided to listen and started to kiss the fire user again, when his eye caught some things written on the papers. "Ace? Are these paperwork, yoi?"

"Unless it turns you on, you can just ignore it," Ace snorted.

"Have you started on it?"

"No." When Marco raised an eyebrow, he shrugged. "Thatch said it wasn't important."

The first mate started to collect the papers, looking them through. "Dammit Ace, this has to be done by tomorrow, yoi!" He placed the papers on the desk and grabbed his jacket.

"Can't it wait a little?" the freckled man whined. "Marco, we finally have time…"

"I'm sorry, but as a commander, you have to follow the rules. However, this time it isn't your fault, so I'll go get the culprit. You start on the paperwork already, yoi. If we pull an all-nighter, we should be able to get it done."

* * *

Ace had fallen asleep in Marco's arms, while the blonde continued to work and kicked Thatch when the man threatened to doze off. Honestly, the man with the pompadour had told Ace that the paperwork wasn't important when the Fourth Division Commander had wanted him to party, but had forgotten to tell him that it had to get done by the end of the month. If not, their whole administration would become a mess and their accountants were not forgiving. Even Marco's authority was limited – hell, even Pops' was – so he couldn't take any chances, even if it meant giving up their night together. That didn't mean he wasn't annoyed by it, however, and he mostly took it out on the source of this mess, Thatch, despite the many apologies he had given.

"Ouch! Dammit, I said I was sorry," the brown haired man whined, rubbing the sore spot.

"You're lucky Jozu and Vista were nice enough to help out for a while," he grouched, as he finally put the last paper on the pile. Izo had refused to lent a hand, as he "wasn't a maid to clean up after Thatch's mess". Marco regretted telling him it was the pompadour haired man's man fault, as the okama seemed to be willing to help out before he knew that. They would have to fix whatever was going on between those two. "And don't you dare to wake Ace up, yoi. This is your fault after all."

* * *

Ace was a little surprised when he was pulled away after breakfast. Still, he couldn't help the smirk creeping up his face. "Where are we going?"

"Shower, yoi," Marco said curtly.

The freckled man snickered and let himself be pulled along. The blonde was getting pretty desperate to have sex and, he had to admit, so was he. Still, it was pretty funny to see the usually stoic First Division Commander so worked up. It promised to be a fun time.

Unfortunately for them, the bathroom was being cleaned. Without so much as halting, however, Marco turned and headed for his room, the other man still pulled along by his wrist.

Opening his door had them both gape at what they saw. Thatch and Izo, on his bed, making out.

Marco's jaw had dropped and he didn't seem able to move. The two on his bed hadn't noticed them yet, until Ace cleared his throat.

That had both commanders jumping up. "Marco! Ace! I didn't expect to see you here," Izo stammered.

The blonde had recovered from the initial shock and wore his usual deadpanned expression. "You didn't expect to see me in my room, yoi?"

The okama scratched the back of his head embarrassed and Thatch studied the ceiling.

"So, what are you two doing here, besides fouling my bed?"

"Well," the brown haired man started, "you told me to bring the paperwork we did last night to the accountant and I thought I can do yours as well."

"Right. And I needed to borrow your hair gel!" Izo stated, like that explained everything.

"Then how did you end up making out on my bed, yoi?" Marco exclaimed frustrated, but Ace placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Just leave it. Can't you see? It's love!" And he clutched his chest where his heart was.

* * *

The bickering as five year olds had only been due to pent up sexual frustration, so now that was resolved, Thatch and Izo were happy – almost annoyingly so. Marco wanted to be happy for them, and he was, really, to some extant. But he was trying to get in Ace's pants for a while now, while all his two brothers had been doing was bickering. But they already had had sex, while he was left with the urge to strangle someone. So, after dinner, before everyone left, he climbed onto the table, getting their attention.

"Tonight, I will be available for two hours – no more – in which you can come to me with questions and requests, yoi. After that, I'll be taking Ace to my room and whoever disturbs us will feel my wrath."

A hesitant hand rose.

Marco sighed. "Yes, yoi?"

"What about when we're attacked?"

He groaned and rubbed his temples. "_Unless_ we are being attacked. Everyone clear now, yoi?"

* * *

Of course, two hours hadn't been two hours, but longer, but now finally, Marco was free. Tired but excited, he made his way to Ace's room – he didn't care where they did it anyway – where the freckled man should be waiting for him.

He knocked softly and opened the door. And almost ran his fist through it.

Ace's room was dark and on the bed he saw a figure lying, his breath regular. _Fuck_. Groaning softly, Marco sat down on the bed and rubbed his face, fighting the urge to wake the other man up. Why was everyone against him?

Strong arms were wrapped around his neck, while butterfly kisses were placed on his shoulder. Immediately he relaxed and gave in. "I thought I was too late, yoi."

"You seem to be forgetting something," Ace said between kisses, his voice still heavy with sleep. "I really want to do this too."

Turning around, Marco pushed the other back into the mattress, their tongues never stopping to touch each other. It didn't take long before articles of cloths were discarded on the floor. Bare-chested, the blonde licked the freckled man's abs, fighting the urge to move faster. He wanted to savour the moment, even if a voice in the back of his head told him that was a bad idea.

At first he pretended he didn't hear the hesitant knock on the door, willing the person trying to disturb them away. However, another knock could be heard and Marco shot up, practically pulling the door off its hinges.

For a moment, Ace feared his lover would rip out the heart of the messenger. He much more resembled a dragon than a phoenix at the moment.

"What?" the blonde snapped. "I told you not to disturb me, unless there was an attack!"

The messenger fumbled with his clothes. "But… We _are_ under attack, commander."

Marco grabbed his jacket and left the room without saying a word.

A little worried, and annoyed about yet another interruption, Ace put on clothes, not wanting to look indecent, before he left the room as well. To his surprise, he found most of the crew on deck, not fighting the enemy, merely gaping at the other ship.

"What's going on?" the freckled man asked Blemheim, who was standing next to him.

The man pointed to the enemy vessel, where a shining spot of light blue could be seen, defeating their opponents single-handedly. Ace jaw dropped.

Rakuyo chuckled. "A sexually frustrated Marco is a one man army! You should tease him more often, Ace. It makes our jobs easier."

The Second Division Commander looked wary at the other ship, where most enemies were beaten already. Like Rakuyo said, he was taking out his frustrations on the enemy. Ace had never seen him like this, not even when the freckled man was still stubbornly trying to kill Whitebeard.

The dark haired man was happy he was on the phoenix' good side.

* * *

The fight was over rather quickly, but instead of Marco coming to his room to finish what he started, Ace found himself alone. He waited for a while, but nothing happened. Confused and a little annoyed, the fire user started to look for his lover.

Eventually, he found the man near the railing, staring out over sea. Wrapping his arms around his waist from behind, the freckled man murmured against his back: "There you are. I was getting worried."

The blonde didn't respond, so Ace looked up confused. "You sunk the enemy ship single-handedly. I don't think anyone will disturb us now…"

Suddenly, Marco turned around sharply. "Really, yoi? You really don't think we'll get disturbed? Because I think that as soon as we closed the door behind us, a storm with hit the ship, yoi. Or we'll hit an iceberg."

"We've had a few interruptions, sure," Ace protested. "But that doesn't mean–"

"I think it does mean, yoi. It's too hard. Obviously, this isn't meant to be." Marco wiped with his hand over his face and only now Ace noticed how tired he looked. "Let's just forget about it and go back to be just friends."

With that, he left, leaving the freckled man heartbroken behind.

* * *

"What do you mean, he doesn't want to anymore?" Izo all but shrieked.

The freckled man shrugged. "Can you blame him? Besides, you're one of the reasons we got interrupted in the first place!"

The okama sighed. "Yes, yes. But I was pissed then. I never meant to come between your happiness."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Well, thank you for allowing us to be happy when you're happy."

Izo gave him an unamused look and the dark haired man shut up.

"Well, we've got to fix this," Rakuyo piped up. "I haven't seen Marco smile like that in a long time, if ever, when he was with you."

"Not to mention the killer aura he gives off," Haruta sighed. "I'm scared to go near him and so is his division. I think only Pops dares to talk to him."

They pondered about a solution for a while, when Thatch slammed his hand on the railing. "I have an idea!"

* * *

"Come on, go out drinking with me," the brown haired man whined. "I know I've been busy with Izo lately and I want to make it up to you, my best bud." He clung to Marco's arm.

They had anchored at a small island. Most of the chores were done already, the provisions were replenished, the money was counted and the crew had been out for a walk.

"Just you and me. What do you say?"

"This just means that I have to drag your drunken ass back to the ship, yoi," the blonde grumbled.

"You're so cynical lately. You could really use a drink." Thatch started to drag him off.

Marco wanted to comment on what he needed right now and that it had nothing to do with drinking, but he was a little relieved to have an excuse to leave the ship. He had been avoiding Ace for a few days now, partly because he might not be able to control himself near the younger man, but mostly because guilt was eating him up. The look on the freckled man's face when he broke it off had been a look of betrayal and hurt. He couldn't stand it, but he also refused to make things worse for himself.

Lost in thought, he hardly noticed Thatch had came to a stop. "Aw, shoot! I forgot to bring money. Just go inside already, I'll be right back! Don't worry, tonight's on me!" With that, he ran off.

Sighing, Marco looked at the building in front of him. It didn't really look like a bar, it was to dark and to quiet for that. Still, if Thatch knew anything, it were bars, so the blonde pushed open the door. Maybe a few drinks weren't such a bad idea. In the doorway, however, he froze.

He had been right. The building had been too silent to be a bar. Inside, the room he had entered was illuminated with thousands of candles. In the middle of the room a figure was standing.

"The guys are making sure no-one interrupts us," Ace said smiling, though he sounded a little hesitantly. "No matter how heavy the attack."

For a moment, Marco was speechless. Ace started to fidget with the large beads around his neck nervously, when the phoenix started to move. Walking up to the freckled man, he gave him no time to say anything before pressing his lips against the other's.

The fire user sighed in relief, pulling him close.

Marco let go and brushed a few black strands from the Second Division Commander's face. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I was frustrated, but that's no excuse for hurting you."

"It's okay," Ace murmured. Then he bit his lip. "I love you, Marco."

He smiled. "I love you too."

Starting to kiss again, Ace pulled the blonde with him, up the stairs. Without looking, he opened a door, leading to a room with a bed.

The freckled man's back hit the mattress, only a second before the first mate jumped on top of him. Kissing fervently, Marco let his hands run up the other's muscular thighs. _Finally_. He decided not to rush things. If someone interrupted them again, he would just kill them. No need for ruining Ace's first time.

Their lips never breaking apart, Marco pushed the dark haired man's hips up, pulling down his shorts. Smiling up at him, Marco dipped his head down and started to lick the well defined abs downwards. Taking the already half hard cock in his mouth, the blonde gave a short suck.

Ace's head fell back, his legs shaking with anticipation. The phoenix kissed his inner thighs. "Do you have lube, yoi?"

"Right!" The Second Division Commander jumped up and started to look under the bed, giving the elder man a nice view of his naked ass. Sitting up, the dark haired man was holding several bottles. "I didn't know what you preferred and Izo said they were all good, so I thought I'd take them all and let you choose," he chattered, placing the bottles on the bed. "Is it too much?"

Marco gave him a feral grin. "Oh, I think we're going to need it, yoi." Grabbing a random bottle, he pushed Ace down on the bed again.

* * *

For the umpteenth time that night, Marco rolled off the freckled man, panting. They had lost count of how much time they did it, but the bottles of lube were considerately more empty. Plus, the blonde was running out of ideas for positions, as did Ace, who was surprisingly creative.

Next to him, the fire user groaned. "My ass is gonna hurt in the morning, isn't it?"

Marco chuckled and pressed a kiss on his lover's forehead. "As will mine."

"So, what's next?" Ace asked yawning. "I'm gonna need a five minute break though." He curled up against the blonde. "Just five minutes and I'm back in action…" His voice trailed off and was soon replaced by even breaths.

The phoenix chuckled and pulled him close. People admired them for their stamina in battle, but even fighting an enemy ship alone was nothing compared to a night of wild sex with the fire user. He yawned as well. He had done all he wanted for tonight, so maybe a bit of sleep to recharge him wasn't a bad idea. After all, he had placed the bar pretty high and he would have to show Ace in the morning that this wasn't a onetime thing.

Closing his eyes, he tried to decide whether he had to kick Thatch's ass for tricking him or thank him on his bare knees. Feeling the freckled man move closer to him, still naked and sticky with sweat and cum, murmuring "love you", he concluded he owed his brothers a thanks.


End file.
